


Now Divided, Must Unite

by Revans_Mask



Series: Bonds of Metal [2]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alpha!Korra, Alpha!Kuvira, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Breast Fucking, Come Shot, F/F, Friends With Benefits, G!P, Hints of Korrasami, Omega Verse, Smut, Switching, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-12 18:03:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7116847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Revans_Mask/pseuds/Revans_Mask
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Korra and Kuvira are enjoying their friends-with-benefits arrangement while they work to restore order to the Earth Kingdom, but an encounter with a dangerous warlord will put them both in grave danger as well as push Kuvira further along the path to becoming the Great Uniter. A Bonds of Metal prequel story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Look, it's another entry in the Bonds of Metal series. This one is written solely by Revan's Mask, but Rae did help with the editing and such, so thanks to her, and thanks for reading. The title is a paraphrase of the famous saying from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, though in this case the land hasn't been long divided.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”

Kuvira didn’t say anything at first, instead just staring as she shared in Korra’s disbelief. They had almost made it to the small city of Baodong, only to find the mountain pass that led there guarded by a massive statue sculpted out of dark stone, probably with earthbending. It depicted what was, in Kuvira’s opinion, a rather rat-like woman garbed in a ridiculously elaborate version of an Earth Kingdom uniform and thrusting a rocky sword up into the sky.

“I know we heard this Supreme Commander Wing Yang was full of herself, but this is ridiculous,” Korra continued.

Kuvira nodded. “Somehow, I don’t think this bodes well for our negotiations. The sort of person who builds a statue like this probably isn’t interested in giving up her power.”

In all honesty, Kuvira had never been in favor of the diplomatic approach. After the death of the Earth Queen, former general Wing Yang had taken a division of the kingdom’s army and used it to set up a little independent fiefdom of her own, terrorizing the people of the region for months now. She’d rather give the woman a beating than a piece of her mind, but Korra had insisted on trying to negotiate first and her fellow alpha could be annoyingly persistent, so eventually Kuvira had given in. _Besides, the terrain around here doesn’t exactly make this the easiest place to stage a military operation if it comes to that. And there is the matter of that bet..._

“Nah, probably not,” Korra agreed. “But at least the talks ought to be colorful. Come on,” she said, jerking her head in the direction to the path ahead of them, “let’s get a move on. It’ll be dark soon and I want to get there in time for dinner.”

As the Avatar began walking towards Baodong once more, Kuvira lingered a few steps behind, watching her go. These last few months had been a difficult time, too much of it spent wading through chaos and misery, but Korra’s presence had certainly helped keep Kuvira’s spirits up.  What was going on between them wasn’t exactly love. Even though she’d slept with a number of people in her life, Kuvira wasn’t sure she’d ever been head over heels in quite the way that led so many people to act like blithering idiots.

But even if she didn’t do love, this was a pretty potent case of “like.” She respected Korra as she did few other people. The Avatar was tough, and skilled, and she had an impressively indomitable will. _To say nothing of how pretty she is. That lopsided smile, that well-toned body… I wouldn’t have imagined being so into another alpha, but here we are._

“You coming, Vee?” Korra called back, her indefatigable energy still evident in spite of the long hike the two of them had already undertaken.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Avatar,” she said dryly. “I was just admiring the view.”

“Of the mountains or my ass?”

She could practically see Korra’s smirk, and she answered, “I’ll leave that to your imagination.  Along with your over-inflated ego.”

Korra give her a derisive snort. “Oh yeah, I’m the one who’s full of myself. Are you forgetting all the stuff you were saying the other night in bed?”

“Just because I noticed how much you were enjoying my cock doesn’t mean I’m conceited.”

Korra shook her head and laughed. “Whatever you say, Vee. You wanna race to Baodong?”

“No, the last time taught me better than to race an airbender. Besides, we shouldn’t wear ourselves out unnecessarily. Like you said, this meeting could take an ugly turn, and I don’t want to come into it tired.”

***

Their walk through the streets of Baodong had not improved Kuvira’s mood. The region had never been wealthy, but the scenes of poverty she’d just seen showed that matters had gotten even worse of late. There seemed to be beggars on every other curb, the buildings were in a shabby state, with some bearing the scars of recent fighting, and everywhere a miasma of gloom seemed to hang in the dry air.

If that wasn’t a good sign, an even worse one was the residence of the self-proclaimed “Supreme Commander” that they now approached. It had been the largest mansion in the city even before Wing Yang’s take-over, and now it was bedecked with all the resources that were absent elsewhere. High walls that bore the marks of new construction were patrolled by well-fed soldiers who glared down at the pair as they approached the gates and through them, Kuvira could see several new-looking Sato-mobiles parked outside the house.

“Changed your mind about the back-up?” she asked Korra under her breath. Starting from the core of soldiers who had left Zaofu with them, they had gathered a significant force over the past few months. Former Earth Kingdom army members looking for a new cause, ordinary people they had saved, and even a few former brigands who regretted their actions had joined up with their cause. She and Korra had not, however, brought them here. Not only was the terrain inhospitable for a larger force, Korra had argued that if they came with an army, a fight was certain. _“Besides, Vee,”_ she’d said, _“I think the two of us can handle whatever comes up._ ”

“Nah, I still think we’re good,” Korra whispered back, but Kuvira could see that she too was eyeing the guards cautiously, planning out her reactions if they were attacked.

“Who goes there?” one of the guards demanded, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

“Captain Kuvira of the Metal Clan and Avatar Korra. We’re here to see…” the title caught in Kuvira’s throat but she made herself finish, “Supreme Commander Wing Yang. She’s expecting us.”

The guards eyed them up and down, evidently trying to decide if they believed them. “Come on,” Korra said, putting her hands on her hips. “Who else are we going to be? How many visitors from the Southern Water Tribe do you even get here?”

“Not many,” one them admitted.

“Then let us in.” Kuvira accompanied her words with a wave of her hand, bending open the heavy steel gate. Either her display of power or Korra’s logic did the trick, because the guards made no attempt to stop them as began their walk toward the mansion.

The earlier impression of wealth was only reinforced as they drew closer. A collection of stolen statues decorated the rolling lawn, whose verdant quality suggested that the water that was in short supply elsewhere had been diverted here. Given the proximity of the guards accompanying them in, Kuvira refrained from making any sarcastic remarks, but her blood was quietly boiling at the contrast.

Korra seemed to notice the waves of frustration rolling off of her chi, because she put a hand on Kuvira’s arm, giving a gentle squeeze that let her know she shared in her frustration. Kuvira nodded, letting the other alpha know she was all right while the heavy double doors of the mansion were drawn open by the guards.

Once they were inside, Kuvira could see more evidence of looting, a variety of vases and paintings that didn’t really go together lining the walls and hallways. Of greater immediate interest though were the additional guards eyeing them suspiciously as they walked. Kuvira’s fingers flexed unconsciously, preparing to swiftly unleash her bending if it came to that. There was no one she’d rather have by her side in a fight than Korra, but it could still get messy.

The dining room had been converted into a sort of make-shift audience chamber, and it was there that Kuvira finally saw the woman they’d come to deal with. Wing Yang sat at the head of a large stone table that was engraved with what Kuvira had realized was their host’s emblem: a rampant armadillo lion. Looking at the other alpha, though, Kuvira doubled down on her opinion that a rat would have been a more apt choice. The woman had a pinched face, and small, deep-set eyes that she found somewhat unsettling and not at all attractive. Her aura was stone-hard and powerful however, enough to make an impression on someone who hadn’t spent the last few months on campaign with the Avatar.

Flanking their chief were several more guards, along with a few members of an embryonic court, clad in elaborate robes and looking on the whole irritatingly plump in light of the hunger Kuvira had seen outside. A pair of attractive male omegas, bare chested, were draped over the back of her massive, carved chair, presented more like ornaments than people. None of the crowd said anything at their approach, however, waiting for Wing Yang to take the lead.

“Well, look at this,” the so-called Supreme Commander said, not deigning to rise from her chair,  “the Avatar has come here to my corner of the world. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Kuvira’s fists clenched at being ignored in favor of Korra. “ _We_ ,” she said pointedly, “are here to discuss the political situation in this area.”

Wing Yang’s thin lips twisted up into a smirk. “I _am_ the political situation in this area.” She gestured to one of the omegas who disentangled themselves long enough to bring over a plate of fruit from a nearby table. She took a peach from it, biting into it slowly with a studied disdain.

 _For now._ “And that’s why we’re here to talk with you,” Kuvira retorted, her voice cool and hard. “Korra and I are in the process of restoring stability to the Earth Kingdom, and that includes this city. Your soldiers have been involved in three separate violent incidents with your neighbors, and in two of them, they were accused of stealing goods from those neighbors.”

“Outrageous lies!” a puffed up beta in an elaborate green silk robe with that same armadillo lion hastily sewn onto it declared. “We are the ones who have been the victims of banditry. Lord Taotu would steal from his own mother if given half a chance.”

“Look,” Korra cut in, “whoever’s responsible, this violence isn’t good for anybody. What we’re trying to do here is get some kind of reasonable government back in place so that people can be safe.”

“Ah, now that sounds eminently reasonable,” Wing Yang declared with an inflated magnanimity. “Peace is something that all of us want. If you two would like to help me deal with those brigands on my borders, and establish my authority over the entire region, then I believe that we can do business.”

“Help you?” Kuvira said, unable to constrain her incredulousness. “We are here to tell you that you need to disband this ridiculousness flyspeck of a state you’ve established and return your forces over to the control of the central government.”

Wing Yang tossed aside the peach pit, her aura flashing bright and hard. “The Earth Queen is dead, and by all accounts Prince Wu is a simpering idiot. There is no central government anymore. And you are a long way from Zaofu, little metalbender, so don’t be so quick to give me orders. Suyin Beifong isn’t around to bail you out if you get into trouble.”

“Who says she needs Suyin for backup?” Korra’s chi flared back, and its strength was enough to impress Kuvira despite her familiarity with it. Nearly everyone else took a couple of steps backward, and even Wing Yang flinched slightly.

She recovered her composure quickly enough though, putting a broad, if fake, smile on her narrow face. “Come now, let’s not fight. I’m sure you two have had a long journey and tempers can run short when people are tired and hungry. Dinner will be served soon, and rooms are being prepared. Tonight, you are my guests. Whatever you require is yours. Food, rest...” She raised an eyebrow and shot the two of them a leering look. “Omegas, male or female.”

While Kuvira decided how to respond to such an obscene offer, Korra said,  “Nah, we’re good. We’ve got a room at a local inn already and we should head back there before it gets too late.”

The smug look didn’t leave Wing Yang’s face. “I assure you my estate is far more comfortable.”

“No, as she said, we’re good,” Kuvira told her emphatically. Korra had been lying about having rented a room, but she was right that it wasn’t a good idea to leave themselves in this woman’s power overnight.

For a moment, it felt as if the temperature in the room had dropped precipitously. Wing Yang eyed them up and down, perhaps trying to decide whether to press the issue, and all of her soldiers tensed, waiting to see which way thing would go. In the end, though, she thought better of violence. “Very well then. Tomorrow morning, I shall see the two of you back here for breakfast, as well as what I hope will be some more _productive_ talks.”

The way she emphasized the word carried a definite air of threat, but Kuvira had no intention of being intimidated. With a studied air of indifference, she nodded and turned smartly on her heel, marching out of the dining room with Korra following close behind. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to find a shower wherever they did end up staying, but after wading through the filth of this place, she needed one badly.

***

“I was really hoping that once we got to Baodong, we could trade these bedrolls in for a proper mattress.”

Korra shrugged at her friend’s complaint. “Hey, I’m not thrilled about it either. You know how much I was looking forward to dinner. But this is safer. Wing Yang might send people to the inns looking for us.”

“Which is why we’re here in this luxurious mountain cave. I know.” Kuvira lay back on her bedroll, stretching her arms up over her head. The motion made her shirt tug free of her pants, revealing her hard abs, a sight that was enough to make Korra smile in spite of their troubles. There was more she liked about Kuvira than the other alpha’s sculpted body, but that was a definite plus.

Once she’d settled into her bedroll, Kuvira shook her head. “Can you believe this garbage? That this third rate warlord thinks we’re actually going to help her prop up her pathetic regime.”

“Yeah, no, I don’t think we’ll be doing that.” Korra edged over, getting close enough that she could brush a hand across the other alpha’s face in an effort to smooth away the tension lines there. As upsetting as Korra found the mess in the Earth Kingdom, it got to Kuvira even more. The effects were obvious from her reactions, even if the _why_ was harder to be sure of; the metalbender wasn’t really one for talking about her feelings.

Kuvira didn’t react to the comforting gesture though, instead continuing to complain. “The shabbiness of all of it. The pathetic greed. The fawning omegas. The lack of concern for her people. Why do they put up with it?”

“They’re scared,” Korra said. “After all, not everybody’s the Avatar.”

“You’ve been scared before too. It didn’t stop you from fighting back.”

“True.” Korra’s chest tightened at the reminder. There hadn’t been a lot of those moments, but the times when she’d been truly afraid, when she’d felt helpless, still chilled her. When Amon had blocked her bending. When Unalaq had broken her connection to Raava. And when she had turned herself over to Zaheer to save the airbenders.

The first two times, she’d had to figure out a way to rescue herself. That last one, though, it was Kuvira who’d saved her, and it wasn’t something she’d forget easily. Rolling over, she drew her lips up next to the side of the metalbender’s neck before saying, “Yeah, well, not everybody can bend the elements to their will when they’re scared.”

“I take your point,” Kuvira conceded grudgingly. “Are you happy now?”

“Ecstatic.” Korra leaned up a little bit further, letting her plant her lips on a spot just below Kuvira’s jaw line. They seldom kissed outside of sex, so the gesture made her intentions fairly clear to the metalbender. “Don’t feel too bad, Vee,” she added playfully. “After all, you did win the bet.”

At last, she felt Kuvira’s relax, her body settling down and a sigh coming from deep within her chest. Her hand moved up to tangle in Korra’s dark hair, and the other alpha laughed. “You always just know what to say to cheer me up, Korra.”


	2. Chapter 2

“It’s not that hard,” Korra told her with a wry smile. “Stroking your ego usually does the trick.”

Before Kuvira could respond, Korra pulled the metalbender’s earlobe between her teeth and tugged on the soft flesh. The pressure drew out a groan, and only once it passed did Kuvira manage to say, “You know that’s not the only thing I like you stroking.”

Korra’s grinned broadened. Kuvira didn’t crack a lot of jokes, but that only made the double entendre more amusing. ““No it isn’t,” she agreed. “Now, what was it we said? That whoever was right about negotiating with Wing Yang would get some special treatment?”

“That sounds like...” Kuvira started to say, but her voice trailed off as Korra’s hand ran up along her uniform pants. She didn’t go all the way to their juncture though, instead stopping to rub the metalbender’s upper thigh. Even without direct contact, a tell-tale bulge was starting to form at the front of Kuvira’s trousers, accompanied by a hardening of her chi. Under other circumstances, Korra would’ve pushed back against it, but a bet was a bet. Besides, she knew that once she took care of Kuvira, the favor would be returned. The other alpha might’ve been demanding at times, but she also cared about Korra, and besides, she had too much pride in her skills to leave her partner unsatisfied.

But that could come later. For now, Korra had a bet to settle up on. Her fingers danced along the seam of Kuvira’s pants, and beneath, she could feel the length strain, increasingly close to being fully formed. “You’re always quick to rise to the occasion,” she teased.

“Just looking forward to this,” Kuvira replied, her voice low and husky. One of her hands wrapped around Korra’s head, pulling their lips together. The kisses they shared were generally fierce and this one was no exception. She could taste the heat of Kuvira’s desire in her mouth, and she drank it in eagerly. Korra relished being able to summon those feelings, enjoying the fact that even when she was bottoming, she could exert a certain control over Kuvira.

Not that Kuvira wasn’t forceful herself. The metalbender’s hips pushed up, pressing her growing erection against Korra’s palm. She gave it a squeeze, and a harsh, “Yes,” came out of Kuvira’s throat. Her fingers tangled urgently in Korra’s hair, guiding her downward.

Korra was happy to comply, but along the way she finished the job Kuvira’s stretching had started, pulling her lover’s shirt up over her head. It had been a long day, and she wasn’t looking to draw things out too long, but she did want a chance for a bit of fun first. Her hands ran over Kuvira’s torso, enjoying the way the tight muscles felt beneath her touch. She bent low, using her mouth as well her hands to explore as she approached the top of Kuvira’s pants. Beneath them, the other alpha was now fully changed, and Korra licked her lips. “So, what do you think I should I do with this?” She gave the cock another squeeze, making Kuvira pulse hard in her hand. “Because I can think of plenty of fun things to try.”

“Why don’t you just show me some of them?” Kuvira replied. “If you do a good job, I’ll find a way to reward you.”

Kuvira was trying to sound cocky, but Korra couldn’t miss the needy note in her voice. It wouldn’t be nice to tease her much longer, so she hurried to unfasten the other alpha’s pants, grinning at the _sproing_ that followed when her lengthy cock was freed from its confinement. Kuvira’s abdominal muscles tensed as Korra wrapped a fist around the base of her shaft. The heat there was quite appealing, as was the little bead of wetness forming at its tip. Korra dipped down, running her tongue across the divot and coming away with a nice sample of the heavy, earthy taste.

She swallowed it down with relish, but once she was done, she pulled back, releasing the cock in her hand and tugging her own shirt up over her head instead. Her lover whined, “ _Korra_ ,” but she was busy unwrapping her breast band and tossing it next to her tunic on the cave floor.

“Don’t worry, Vee. You know I wouldn’t let you down.”

***

Kuvira exhaled, her body relaxing as she let herself believe Korra. Trust didn’t come quickly to her, but her lover had earned it over these last few months. Korra didn’t give up before her work was done properly, whether it was in battle, or with sex, and she was _quite_ good at both of those things.

The other alpha leaned down, arching her back so that her bare breasts brushed over Kuvira’s cock. Her length throbbed at even that slight contact, but things soon got _so_ much better. Korra wrapped her breasts around Kuvira’s shaft and slid them back and forth, the friction making her pulse steadily harder. Wetness was dribbling out of the head as well, easing her movements even before Korra decided to help out. She stopped what she was doing long enough to engulf Kuvira’s cock with her mouth in one swift motion. A strangled gasp slid out of Kuvira, and her length twitched hard.

“Fuck, Korra,” she mumbled, her hand playing through the braids of the other alpha’s dark hair.

Korra couldn’t say anything back, but she did let out a pleased murmur, sending delightful vibrations running through the cock in her mouth. That particular pleasure didn’t last long though. After a final, sloppy suckle, Korra pulled back, letting Kuvira slid out from between her lips. Mercifully, the loss of pleasure was only temporary. A moment later, Korra nestled her back between the valley of her breasts, now properly lubricated.

“You like that, Vee?” Korra asked playfully as she ran the soft flesh across Kuvira’s length.

“Oh, yes.” Kuvira trailed her hand along the muscles of Korra’s back, massaging them affectionately. “Don’t stop.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

The next time Kuvira’s cock thrust upward, Korra’s tongue darted out, lashing over the head before it disappeared back between her breasts. She kept repeating the action, and Kuvira groaned. Between the days of hard travel behind her and the vile spectacle at Wing Yang’s manor, she was carrying a boatload of tension that she was aching to have released.

Her only problem was that Korra’s ministrations were threatening to shove her over the brink before she was ready. Kuvira tried whatever she could think of to hold off, focusing on the ache in her feet, the soreness in her back, anything but the soft feeling of Korra’s breasts and the sharp strokes of her tongue that felt _so_ good. It worked for a little while, but there were limits to her endurance. It wasn’t just the physical sensations undoing her either. The gleam in Korra’s eyes was a reminder of the affection they shared, a connection that had come to be more important to Kuvira than it was easy for her to admit.

Her hips were bucking harder than before, and on the next upstroke, the whole head of her cock passed between Korra’s lips. The other alpha sucked hard on it, and the pressure was too much. Even as Kuvira slid back into the warmth of those lovely breasts, she was already coming. Powerful spurts of her release spilled out, painting wet trails onto her lover’s skin before Korra drew the cock into her mouth, drinking down the next several pulses. Back and forth her tongue passed, gathering in as much of the heavy fluid as she could manage, her every motion making Kuvira twitch harder.

Korra wasn’t eager to let go of her either. She sucked and licked until Kuvira was left a sprawled out mess on the bedroll, slack and happy.  Only when her achingly sensitive clit had started to shrink down did the Avatar pull back, using one hand to brush away some of the sticky fluid now covering her chest. “So, how’s that for special treatment?”

Kuvira gave her the soft, goofy smile that only times like this could pull out of her. “Wonderful. You’re…” She took a deep breath, trying to find her voice. “Really creative.”

“Aw, that’s nice of you to say,” Korra laughed, but then her back straightened and Kuvira could feel a flaring of her chi. It was a sign that she was getting ready to switch their roles, even more telling than the flush of desire now coloring her cheeks.

“Well, you are the nice one,” she said dryly. “Though I sense you’re looking for some attention of your own.”

Korra gave her that winsome, lopsided smile that Kuvira enjoyed so much. “Hey, you did promise me a reward. But if you want more too, you know I can make it good for you, Vee.”

The thing of it was, she could. Before sleeping with Korra, Kuvira had never been one for bottoming. She was an alpha through and through, and moving out of that role was something she had only done a handful of times, without particularly enjoying it when she had. But with Korra… There was something special about her. Her dominance as the Avatar made it feel more natural to have her take the lead sometimes, but it was her sweetness that allowed Kuvira to relax and enjoy the sensations her lover provided. She would always prefer topping, but with Korra, she could take pleasure in other things too.

“Go on,” she said. “You’ve definitely earned it.”

Korra slid up into her arms, running her hands along Kuvira’s bare skin as she went. They were calloused from training, but there could still be a gentleness to her touches, actually more so when she was topping. _Maybe she has less to prove then. I can understand that._

Kuvira’s hands wrapped around Korra’s body, pressing her close. The Avatar’s aura was definitely impressive, especially when she was in a more dominant mood. Heat and wind, storm, and stone all mixed together there, and Kuvira pulled back her own chi, letting Korra assert herself. She could feel the first stirrings of the other alpha’s erection against her leg, while her own clit had gone back to its usual size.

Still, letting Korra lead didn’t mean she was going to allow the other alpha to get away without a bit of teasing. “Nice to see you enjoyed yourself just now.”

“What can I say? You’re fun to play with, Vee.”

Korra tilted her head, and as her teeth grazed over the skin of Kuvira’s throat, the metalbender gasped. The contact felt good, as did Korra’s roaming hands, and Kuvira could feel her arousal starting to rise once more. It wasn’t as sharp as before, less of a _need_ and more of a _want,_ but that wasn’t a bad thing, just proof of how well Korra had done her work earlier.

She reached down, unfastening the ties of the Avatar’s pants, and Korra hastened to help her, shimmying out of them along with her underwear. Beneath, her cock was fully formed, and Kuvira ran her hand up and down its length. The first time she’d seen it, Kuvira had been a bit intimidated, but now, she knew she could not only handle but enjoy it.

It helped that Korra was always happy to get her good and wet. While Kuvira was stroking her cock, the other alpha’s fingers had sought out her clit, and the circles she drew on it sent shivers of pleasure down her spine. It wasn’t long before Kuvira’s inner muscles were fluttering jealously, eager for the penetration to begin.

“Go on,” she gasped out. “I’m ready.”

“You sure?” Korra kissed her just beneath her ear. “I can do more if you want.”

“It’s enough.” To reinforce her meaning, Kuvira gave Korra’s length a tug, and the Avatar slid up alongside her, the broad head of her cock now nudging up against Kuvira’s entrance. The fit was tight enough to make Kuvira’s body burn, but she didn’t care. Instead, she pushed back into her lover, trying to take more of her. Korra was considerate enough to go slowly, but every jog of her hips still sent fresh shocks of pleasure through Kuvira’s body.

As much as she enjoyed the penetration, the look on Korra’s face was almost as good. The other alpha’s mouth was hanging open, and she was gasping harder with every inch she buried inside. Before she made it all the way to the hilt though, Korra paused, brushing a hand over her cheek affectionately. “You feel _so_ tight, Vee. ‘S good, but do you need...”

Kuvira appreciated the consideration, but that wasn’t what she craved. She grabbed the back of her lover’s head and cut her off with a fierce kiss. “Stop being the nice one and fuck me, Korra.”

“Whatever you want.” Even as she spoke, Korra’s whole body pushed forward, slamming hard into Kuvira. The impact made her shudder, but in a good way. She _liked_ Korra’s power. If she was going to bottom, it was only going to be for somebody strong enough to deserve it, and her lover definitely fit the bill.

The wetness that thought coaxed out of her helped Korra to set a vigorous rhythm, but rather than wearing Kuvira out, it only served to banish the day’s fatigue. She was determined to keep up with the other alpha, pushing back against the thrusts and wrapping her legs around Korra’s back, driving her to go even more vigorously. Not that Korra needed much encouragement. She was the most energetic lover Kuvira had ever had, the speed of her thrusts increasing in response.  

The heat inside her was wonderful, and it wasn’t very long before Kuvira could feel a second climax starting to come on, building impressively fast given the force of her first orgasm, but it wouldn’t do to be too hasty. She needed Korra to come along with her, or else she’d be taking shit over it all the next day.

With a groan, she clenched down, her inner muscles squeezing Korra as best she could manage. It wasn’t something she’d practiced much, but their time together was a useful inducement to learning new tricks. Her attempt still seemed to have some effect, because Korra let out a low groan, burying her face in Kuvira’s shoulder. Her hands clutched tighter too, and her thrusts were becoming shorter and sharper, a sure sign that she wasn’t going to last much longer. There been occasions, when they’d had more rest and more comfortable surroundings, when Korra had displayed an impressive ability to hold back her pleasure, switching through several different positions before she was done. This wasn’t one of those times though; this was a night for hard and fast.

In that spirit, Kuvira threw herself in completely, grinding her clit against the base of Korra’s shaft, and making no further effort to contain her cries of pleasure. The other alpha was right there with her, grunting and moaning, “Vee,” as she began to fall apart. Kuvira was already on the brink as well, but it was the feel of Korra stiffening and the first spurts of her come pouring into her pussy that pushed her the rest of the way over. A powerful shudder ran through Kuvira, and her inner walls fluttered, spilling more wetness out between them.

In that moment, her instinct was to look away, to not show how overwhelmed she was, but she’d been learning to fight that urge. Besides, she enjoyed seeing the way Korra’s pretty blue eyes were locked onto her, along with the way her face tightened with pleasure as she came. The other alpha’s climax washed over her in powerful waves, her body thrusting and shuddering every time another pulse poured out of her cock. Nor did they end quickly, her orgasm continuing well after Kuvira’s own had tapered off. Clearly, Korra’s earlier show had gotten her worked up, making her need this badly.

When she was finally done though, fatigue caught up to her lover swiftly. Korra slumped down on top of her, sweaty and spent. “Told you it’d be good, Vee,” she panted, nuzzling her face up against Kuvira’s chest.

“Woman of your word,” Kuvira said with a weak chuckle. She was feeling sleepy too and she planted a final kiss on the side of Korra’s lips before relaxing into the bedroll as best she could. Even though the hard ground beneath them wasn’t the most comfortable place to be, the warmth of Korra’s body on top of her as they began to drift off still made her feel contented. They had one long day behind them and what would doubtless be an even more difficult one ahead, but for the rest of the night at least, Kuvira was at peace.


	3. Chapter 3

“So, do you think this is a trap? I mean, Wing Yang probably isn’t going to do what we want, but how likely is it that she’s actually going to try and kill us instead?”

“Why? Were you looking to make another bet?” Kuvira chuckled, and Korra could feel the other alpha’s aura flex a bit. “I certainly did like your tits. I wonder what I’ll get to fuck if I win again?”

Korra put on a little pout. “Cut it out, Vee. I was trying to do something nice for you last night, but if you’re going to be a jerk about it, next time I won’t bother.”

“Well, then maybe next time you shouldn’t make bets you’re going to lose.”

“Yeah, but still,” she protested, idly kicking a rock down the the broken Baodong street. “I wasn’t giving you crap about the way your face looked when I was fucking you.”

Kuvira’s aura softened. The other alpha did like to tease, but Korra knew her remarks were seldom mean spirited, at least not with her. “You’re right, you didn’t. And I did appreciate your new move.”

She gave Kuvira a wry smile. “Anyway, what makes you think you’d win again?”

The grin Kuvira returned contained more than a hint of smugness. “Because since you’re the one insisting we go back to Wing Yang’s estate, you’d have to be betting that it isn’t a trap. And it definitely is one.”

“So why are you coming?”

“Someone has to watch your back. Besides, I’m not passing up the opportunity to skewer that tin-pot warlord when she makes her move.”

Korra sighed. Sometimes, she worried about Kuvira’s tendency to go straight for the more violent solution. It’s not like she didn’t understand the impulse. Punching Wing Yang in her stupid face had been her first thought too, but the hardships she’d been through since she first came to Republic City had taught Korra some restraint. Kuvira, though… She was doing the right thing, trying to put the Earth Kingdom back together, but when it came to methods, they didn’t always see eye to eye.

“Look, there’s still a chance this won’t escalate,” Korra said. “Even if Wing Yang wants a fight, some of her people might be smarter than that. Maybe they don’t like her that much. Maybe we can get them to turn on her.”

“Perhaps you’re right,” Kuvira replied, but Korra didn’t hear much optimism in her voice. She couldn’t really blame her friend for that. Ahead of them, Korra could see Wing Yang’s manor house looming once more, and the sight filled her with weariness. _How can some people take so much when everybody else is so desperate?_ In the Southern Water Tribe, there hadn’t been such extremes of wealth and poverty; even her father’s palace didn’t embrace such blatant displays of luxury.

This time around, the guards didn’t challenge their arrival, instead opening the gates and making a path for them to enter the house. That didn’t mean that they were friendly, however. A dozen pairs of eyes weighed on them as they walked across the lawns, and even at a distance, Korra could feel the rough edges of their auras alternately pushing and retreating, aggression and trepidation mixed in together.

When they reached the dining room, it became clear that Wing Yang was making an effort to provide a friendlier reception than her guards. There were plates piled high with food and her court was sitting around the great table, talking and laughing amongst themselves rather than glaring at her and Kuvira in suspicious silence.

“Welcome back,” Wing Yang said, her tone expansive if not entirely sincere, “I hope you had a pleasant night at your inn.”

“We did,” Kuvira replied, but though the words were said flatly, there was a subtle undertone of amusement beneath them that made it hard for Korra to keep from smiling. Joking aside, she had really enjoyed the previous night. She liked Kuvira’s competitive spirit in bed, as well as the glimpses of vulnerability that the metalbender sometimes showed her.

“I’m glad to hear that.” Wing Yang gestured to a pair of open seats, and Korra and Kuvira took them. In spite of her disgust with the way it had probably been obtained, Korra’s mouth watered at the food in front of her. She’d gotten pretty tired of travel rations, and all of the fruits, and sweet breads, and fried meat smelled delicious. _It’s not like the people of Baodong are going to get this stuff if I don’t eat it_ , she concluded. _Besides, if we end up having to fight it out, it’d be better if I’ve had some real food first._

***

As she watched Korra dig into her food, Kuvira made herself eat something as well. She didn’t share her lover’s seemingly bottomless appetite, but her own hunger couldn’t be denied entirely. While she ate, she watched the crowd gathered around the table, looking for the possible weak links in Wing Yang’s organization that Korra had mentioned. They weren’t initially apparent. At least on the surface, the gang of lick-spittles seemed to be enjoying themselves, indulging enthusiastically in the fruits of their exploitation.

It’s not that Kuvira didn’t understand the appeal of the finer things in life. She’d had so little when she was a child, and the luxury of Suyin’s estate in Zaofu had been both seductive and overwhelming. But this wasn’t the way to get ahead. Such pleasures should be the reward for those who ruled well, not the flesh scraped off of the bones of the destitute and desperate.

Halfway through a tropical fruit that must have been imported a considerable distance, one of the sycophants finally decided to speak to her. A slim female omega a few seats down fixed her big, dark eyes on Kuvira. “The Supreme Commander says that you’re here to help us defeat all of these brigands who keep preying on our land. Is that true?”

Kuvira could feel the warm tendrils of the omega’s chi tugging at her own as she spoke. It was pleasant in its way; an easier fit than the forceful push of Korra’s aura. But just because something was simple didn’t make it more attractive. “We’re here to deal with all those who’re dividing this country,” she said back, her voice all harsh edge.

“I guess we’ll see how that goes,” the omega replied hastily, before pulling back her chi and quickly returning her attention to some eggs.

Supreme Commander Wing Yang wasn’t going to be scared off as easily as her underlings. Once her two visitors had gotten well underway on their breakfasts, the other alpha turned her attention to them. “So, now that you’ve had a good night’s sleep and a bit of food, I’m hoping we can have some more reasonable discussions today. One’s that take into account the realities of the situation.”

“That’s what we’re hoping for too,” Korra replied. “But maybe you’re the one who’s being unreasonable. This whole area was part of the Earth Kingdom, and yeah, that’s fallen apart for now, but it _is_ going to get put back together again. Things are going to go a lot better for everybody if you figure that out sooner rather than later.”

Wing Yang didn’t say anything at first, but she held Korra’s gaze, and their auras flared, pushing against each other in a search for advantage. Even without being directly involved in the confrontation, the hairs on the back of Kuvira’s neck stood up in response, a primal growl echoing in the back of her head. Alpha dominance contests could easily turn violent, and Kuvira tensed, preparing to jump in and back up her lover.

Nor was she the only one. The temperature in the room seemed to have risen 20 degrees, and all across it Kuvira could see the anxious looks in the court’s eyes as they waited to see who would back down first. Finally, Wing Yang broke the tension. “You might be right,” she admitted, her chi pulling back just the smallest degree. “But before you assume I’m part of the problem, I want to show you more of what I’m building here.”

Kuvira rose from her chair. She knew escalating the argument wasn’t necessarily the smartest thing to do, but her blood was up and there was only so much of this crap she could listen to. “Building? The only thing I see you building around here are monuments to your own ego, while you stripmine this place of anything valuable you can steal.”

Wing Yang turned toward her, her dark eyes hard. “Then your vision is rather limited, captain. There is more going on here than meets the eye, if you’ll set aside your arrogant belief that you know the entire truth.”

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to see that for ourselves,” Korra interjected. “Because right now, I think it seems Kuvira has it about right.”

“And you will.” Wing Yang held up her hands in what was probably supposed to be a conciliatory gesture, but only made Kuvira was to strangle her more than she already did. “After we finish eating, I’ll show you everything.”

_Oh joy._

***

Korra’s face scrunched up suspiciously as she examined the face of the mountain. “The secret accomplishments of your new regime are in a cave?”

“Not a cave,” Wing Yang responded. “A mine. A copper mine to be exact. It used to be the personal property of the Earth Queen, but after an accident, when it became in need of repairs, it was allowed to shut down instead. And why was that, you might ask? Because _her highness_ ,” the title was accompanied with a distinct sneer, “prefered to spend the money on her massive palace, and other ridiculous frivolities.”

“But surely,” Kuvira pointed out, “the expected revenues should’ve exceeded the the cost of the repairs. I think I’ve heard of this mine, and if it’s the one I’m thinking of, it used to be fairly lucrative.”

“In a few years time, yes, they would’ve,” Wing Yang agreed as they climbed up the final set of stairs carved into the side of the mountain, bringing them face to face with the mine’s entrance. “But the queen’s finances were under short-term strain, and she didn’t want to tie up the money for that length of time, no matter who paid the price. Much of the poverty that you doubtless saw on your way into Baodong was caused by this decision. Directly or indirectly, the mine was central to the livelihoods of most of the people in this region, and when it closed, misery followed. But now, my earthbenders have reopened it, and we are well on our way to recovery.”

As they walked toward the tunnel, Korra could see the proof of Wing Yang’s words. Cartloads of ore were indeed being wheeled in the other direction by a steady stream of workers. And yet, she wasn’t exactly heartened by the sight. Those miners looked beaten down and weary, not making eye contact with their superiors as they passed by.

“Maybe the mine is good for the people here, but poverty wasn’t the only thing we saw on our way in here,” she pointed out. “That giant statue isn’t exactly a public work.”

“Isn’t it?” Wing Yang laughed condescendingly. “Do you think that ruling is simply a matter of counting coins and cracking whips? The people require idols to worship in order to be content. I would think you of all people would understand that, Avatar.”

“What’re you talking about? I haven’t built any statues of myself.”

“No, but there’s a rather large one of your predecessor gracing Republic City, isn’t there? I’ll admit I haven’t seen it myself, but I’ve certainly heard the stories.”

“It’s not the same thing,” Korra protested indignantly. “Aang didn’t build that statue himself. The people of Republic City did, because they were proud of all the stuff he accomplished. And besides, speaking of the people, they still seem pretty miserable, even with this mine back open.”

“As opposed to your inner circle,” Kuvira added, “who don’t exactly seem to be sharing in the hardship.”

Wing Yang stepped closely to her and Kuvira, lowering her voice conspiratorially before she spoke. “It is necessary to secure the loyalty of key elites as well as the common people in order for my government to be stable. But in time, we will be able to spread the benefits of our rule more broadly.”

Korra didn’t respond immediately, but she was skeptical that this was simply a way for Wing Yang to win people over to a government that had their best interests at heart. She’d seen the way the other alpha behaved with her associates, the relish she had seemed to take in the luxuries of her makeshift palace. It certainly didn’t seem like a sham to her.

“Okay, let’s say we believe you,” Kuvira said, though her voice seemed to echo the doubts that Korra felt. “Why did we actually have to come here? You could’ve just told us about this mine.”

“True, but you needed to see it in action. Particularly given what we’ve discovered here.”

Kuvira raised an eyebrow. “What exactly is that?”

Wing Yang gestured into the darkness of the mine ahead of them, the passage dimly lit only by a series of lamps. “Come with me and all your questions will be answered.”

***

The darkness had deepened as they went further into the mines, but the lack of visibility didn’t bother Kuvira. The Beifongs were adept at using their earthbending to detect the contours of the surrounding stone, and Kuvira had learned that trick well enough herself. One of the many things she’d been taught during her time with them.

Once, she’d been loyal to the Beifongs, without question. Suyin had taken her in when she’d had nothing, raised her, if not as a member of her family, than as a valued ward, and given her a high position in her government. Kuvira had believed she’d spent the rest of her life in Zaofu, repaying her debt by defending the city from its enemies.

But no more. She’d come to realize that the world that mattered to her was far bigger than just Zaofu. But when she and Korra had reported back on the chaos in the Earth Kingdom, when they’d pleaded with Suyin to use her resources to stabilize it, her former mentor had refused. All she’d cared about was keeping her little corner of the sandbox neat, and so Kuvira had led those elements of Zaofu’s security forces that agreed with her out into the field herself. They had formed the core of the army that she and Korra now led, and come what might, they weren’t going to give up on the Earth Kingdom. _After all, what if the world had given up on me?_

As they turned a corner, stepping out into a larger cavern at the bottom of a steep incline, Kuvira stopped suddenly. Her hand shot out, taking hold of Korra’s forearm. “Do you feel that?”

Korra halted as well, raising up a hand as she tried to sense what Kuvira already had. “It’s in the rock,” she said after a few seconds. “Something different.”

From behind them, she heard Wing Yang’s voice. “Platinium. Several incredibly rich deposits of it, located in the newly opened depths of this mine.”

Kuvira sharp intake of breath was genuine. Platinium was immensely valuable, rare, and with a variety of industrial and military applications, not the least of which was the fact that no one, not even a metalbender as skilled as her, could alter it. “So, this is your secret weapon.”

“Indeed. We have only begun to tap these veins, but once they’re up to full production, we’ll have all the revenue we need. You say that the Earth Kingdom needs to be reunited. Very well. I can see your point. But why should it be centered out of Ba Sing Se forever? Why should it be ruled by a pampered fool like Wu? Why shouldn’t Baodong be the center of a glorious new dynasty?”

“With you as it’s ruler?” Kuvira asked, unable to keep a skeptical edge out of her voice.

“Why shouldn’t she be?” came another voice, belonging, if Kuvira remembered correctly, to a skinny alpha officer in Wing Yang’s guard. “She’s the one who’s brought us this far. Whose vision will usher in a new golden age.”

Kuvira was glad that no one could see her rolling her eyes in the dark and Korra didn’t seem entirely convinced either. “Look, this is a big asset,” the Avatar said, “and we’d be willing to work with you on how to use it best, but you can’t just take power because you’ve got some money and some soldiers. People have to want you to rule. That’s the only way it’s fair.”

“Like they wanted you to be the Avatar? Power is not bestowed as a gift by the people.”

Wing Yang’s tone was mocking, and Korra snapped back, “That’s different.”

“Perhaps,” Wing Yang said, seemingly uninterested in debating the point further. “Come. Let me show you our first working platinum vein. Then, we can talk further about how to put this bounty to work.”

The weary shrug that accompanied Korra’s reply was practically audible. “Sure. Why not?”

As they continued their march through the tunnels, the courtiers behind them were chattering on about frivolous nonsense, but Kuvira did her best to tune it out. They only made it harder to focus, and right now, she couldn’t afford any distractions. She didn’t trust or like Wing Yang one bit, but did that mean they should turn this in a battle? Next to her, the edges of Korra’s aura were jagged, the other alpha no happier than she was, but there was no good way for them to plan out their next move without being overheard. All she could do was wait and see what developed.

“It’s just down this way,” Wing Yang said after a time, her harsh voice cutting through the blather of her associates. “Over that way.” Kuvira couldn’t see quite where she was pointing, but the glimmer of lamps and the harsh sounds of hammers and drills on rock made her meaning clear.

“All right,” Kuvira said softly to Korra, “Let’s get this over with.”

Korra gave her a nod and the two of them walked down the path together. As they drew closer to the lights though, something was nagging at Kuvira, a sense that something that wasn’t quite right. _I can’t place it, though. Not with all this noise._ _It’s too hard to think._

Maybe that’s why she didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late. Just as the stooped bodies of the workers were coming into focus, Kuvira suddenly put together what was different. The auras behind her had receded, and it was just her and Korra and the workers, alone at the bottom of the tunnel. She whirled around, and from what must have been a hundred paces away she could make out the dim outline of Wing Yang, looking back at her.

“I’m sorry,” the other alpha said, with not a hint of actual regret, “but you two are terrible liars. You should’ve been willing to work with me instead of plotting to overthrow me at the first chance you got.”

Beside her, Korra opened her mouth to say something back, but she never got a chance. There was a small, metal device in Wing Yang’s hand and when she pressed down on it, the ceiling above them exploded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This, by the way, is the "Warlord dropping a mountain on them" incident Kuvira mentioned in Bonds of Metal. Hoping you're liking it so far, and please leave feedback to let me know what you think.


	4. Chapter 4

The force of the explosion hurled Kuvira from her feet, sending her crashing into the rock wall behind her. But neither the impact shock running through her body nor the ringing in her ears was her biggest problem. The bomb hadn’t been planted on the ground, where they might have seen it before it was too late. No, it had been hidden in a rocky ceiling that was now shattering into pieces right above her head.

Kuvira thrust her hands upward, trying to mold the stone back into place with her bending, but it kept slipping away from her grasp. _It’s the platinum_ , she realized with swiftly growing horror. _I can’t get a grip on it. Wing Yang must’ve planned it this way._

Her ears filled with the jarring grind of rock on rock and Kuvira covered her face in what was sure to be a futile attempt to shield herself from the collapsing ceiling. Only the impact never came. Further away, chunks of stone were crashing to the ground to be sure, but a circle around her remained clear. Through the dust the explosion had kicked up, she could see the reason why. At the center of the shielded area stood Korra, her arms upraised, eyes glowing bright with the power of the Avatar state.

“How are you bending the rock?” Kuvira yelled out. Her own eardrums were still ringing, but she could hear, and she hoped that Korra wasn’t any worse off.

“I’m not,” Korra gritted out between clenched teeth. “I’m using air to hold it up. Get out of here. Now!”

The strain on Korra’s face was evident, and above her, Kuvira could hear the whooshing of the wind being bent into a cushion to hold back the massive weight. _How long can she do it, though?_ There was still a path through the rubble, if Kuvira wanted to take it. It was be dicey, but she could probably shove aside enough stones to make it back to the tunnel they had come down here from before it was too late.

She didn’t even consider it. “I’m not leaving you to die, Korra!” she insisted.

“Then you better think of something fast, Vee, because I’m not sure how much longer I can hold up half a mountain.”

Kuvira blinked, trying to get the dust out of her eyes. “I know.” She turned her gaze upward, looking at the collapsing ceiling once more, the rock straining against the shield Korra had formed. She couldn’t move it as a mass; not with the platinum inside. _But maybe I can filter some of that junk out._ Narrowing the scope of her bending, she located the closest immoveable vein of metal with the rock, but rather than try to move it directly, she pulled all of the stone around it away instead. Freedom of its moorings, the ingot of platinum dropped down into the wind and from there was spun out to the edges of their rocky trap by Korra’s wind barrier.

 _This could work,_ Kuvira thought to herself. _At least if Korra can last long enough._ But that part was far from certain. The Avatar’s knees were bent, her powerful frame trembling with the strain of sustaining her bending at such a high level. Without further hesitation, Kuvira reached back up. Soon enough, a second piece of platinum was spun free, and then a third. She could feel the rock becoming more malleable to her power as the obstructions cleared. “Hang on, Korra,” she pleaded as she resumed bending. “Just one more should do the trick.”

“Hey, no rush,” Korra grunted, though the pain behind every word belied her attempt at good humor. There was no time to lose, and so once more, Kuvira peeled back the stone, and seconds later, a long, jagged piece of platinum was flung loose. But this time it went astray. The metal slammed into Korra’s shoulder and she winced at the impact, her already-overstrained concentration breaking. Above them, the shield of air dissolved and the rock began crashing down.

But now, Kuvira was ready to stop it. The rock was still difficult to bend, laced with smaller flecks of platinum, no doubt. But it wasn’t impossible. Not when she had to do this or die. With a grunt, she grabbed hold of the rock, not trying to hold it back, but spreading it around the two of them in a dome, leaving a small space where they would be safe.

It seemed as if the avalanche would never stop. An endless torrent of rock dropped down toward her, but Kuvira refused to give an inch. Fortunately, she didn’t have to do it alone for long. Somewhere in the chaos, Korra had risen back to her feet, and she joined in, adding her considerable power to Kuvira’s. Together, the two of them slid the rock to the side, one massive chunk at a time, until, at last, the rock formation had stabilized.

The two of them stood inside a small cavern of their own making, and as soon as she was confident it wasn’t going to collapse further, Kuvira slumped to the ground, exhausted. Korra crashed down next to her, and Kuvira looked over to her friend and laughed weakly. “What’d I tell you? Definitely a trap.”

Korra’s only immediate response was to pant. Her eyes were back to their normal blue, and she seemed totally spent, her aura muted. _Not that I blame her. That was an amazing display of power._

Korra rolled over closer to her, laying her head on Kuvira’s stomach, and a minute later, she whispered, “Thank you, Vee. For not leaving me here.”

Kuvira placed a hand across Korra’s chest, feeling it rise and fall beneath her. It was a reminder that her friend was alive, one that helped the knot in her own gut to unclench. The thought of Korra dying bothered her more than she liked to admit, even to herself. “Not a chance. We’ve been through way too much shit together to let it end that way.” Korra smiled endearingly at that, and Kuvira added, “Besides, I wasn’t going to let a face that cute get crushed.”

Now it was Korra’s turn to let out a weary laugh. “Flatterer.”

“Well, get ready for some more. That was incredible just now, what you did with the airbending.”

“I am the Avatar.”

“As I am frequently reminded.” She leaned down and kissed Korra. It wasn’t their usual pattern, but right then Kuvira felt the need, and evidently, Korra agreed, because she returned the affection, their mouths meeting for several passionate seconds before slumping back down. As weary as Kuvira felt, it was clear that Korra was even more exhausted.

For a little while longer, they just lay there, not saying anything more. At some point during the silence, Korra bestirred herself enough to bend some more air in through the cracks in the stone, but other then that, they both needed the rest. Finally, though, Korra asked, “So, what do we do next?”

A smirk made its way onto Kuvira’s face. “What happens next is that we wait a little while longer, until we’ve gotten our energy back. Then, we bend our way out of this tomb, find Wing Yang, and show her why it was a bad idea to try and kill the two of us. I’m not waiting for backup to settle this.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Korra shook her head sadly. “She buried her own miners down here, just to get us. I wish I could’ve saved them too…”

“Hey.” Kuvira ran her hand over Korra’s stomach in what she hoped was a soothing gesture. “You were barely keeping the two of us from being crushed. There’s no way you’ve could’ve covered the ceiling thirty paces away.”

“I still wish I could’ve done more.”

“One of your better qualities.”

Korra gave her a weak smile, but Kuvira didn’t respond immediately. Her friend seemed lost in thought, and when she did speak, it was to ask a different question. “So, when this is all over, and we’ve put things back together, what’re you going to do then?”

Kuvira pursed her lips. “That’s a funny thing to ask right now.”

A deep sigh came out of Korra. “Yeah, well, maybe I’m getting a little tired of people trying to kill us to protect their screwed up rackets.”

Kuvira gave her an understanding nod before resting her chin on the top of Korra’s head. “It does get a bit old. Honestly, I’m not really sure where I go from here. After we made off with so many of her soldiers, I doubt Suyin will be thrilled to see me again, so Zaofu might be out.”

“Not to mention convincing her son to join up.”

“There is also that.” In truth, Baatar Junior hadn’t required much convincing. Since leaving Zaofu, the beta had become one of their most enthusiastic supporters, and his mechanical expertise had been quite valuable. Plus, it was nice to know that at least one of the Beifong’s hadn’t turned on her. “I suppose I could stay on with the Earth Kingdom army,” she said with a chuckle. “Of course, that would mean I’d be working for Prince Wu. King Wu by then, I suppose.”

“Yeah, that’s not so good,” Korra agreed. They had met the prince when they were talking with the government in Republic City about using their army to stabilize the Earth Kingdom, and they had agreed that the man was the most pitiful, spoiled, cowardly excuse for an alpha they’d ever met.

“No, it is not. So, I guess I’ve still got a few things to figure out. What about you? Are you going to head back to Republic City?”

“I am. It’s been way too long since I’ve seen the rest of the gang.”

Korra smiled, presumably at the memory of her friends, and Kuvira couldn’t resist prodding her a bit further. “The gang, huh? I suspect that maybe you’re missing somebody in particular. Perhaps your friend, Miss Sato?”

A blush spread across Korra’s cheeks at her teasing. “There’s nothing going on with her, Kuvira. I keep telling you that.”

“I didn’t say there was. But maybe you want there to be.”

Korra looked up at her, a playful smile now appearing on her face. “Getting jealous, Vee?”

“Not at all,” Kuvira said with a wry grin. “This, with you, is a lot of fun, but you’re not my mate. Besides, Asami is a _very_ attractive omega. I could hardly blame you for being interested.”

“We’re just friends,” Korra insisted, perhaps a bit too forcefully. “Besides, it’d be kinda weird to go out with Asami. I mean, we both dated Mako, so it could get kind of messy all around.”

Kuvira wasn’t sure she entirely believed Korra, but she decided to move on. “Maybe you’re trying to restart things with Mako then,” she offered. “He’s not my type, but I know you had a different opinion. Does absence make the heart grow fonder?”

“Not this time. Mako and I are done. For good this time.”

She raised an eyebrow. “And why is that?”

“For one thing, he’s totally immature. He can’t figure out what, or who, he even wants. Plus…”

Her voice trailed off, perhaps reconsidering what she had been about to say, but that only piqued Kuvira’s interest. “Plus what, Korra?”

“Well, uh, he could be kind of a pain in the neck when it came to sex.”

Kuvira slid one of her hands up, giving Korra’s nipple a playful tweak through the fabric of her shirt. “I can be a little difficult too. I didn’t think you minded.”

Korra bit her lip, trying although not entirely succeeding to stifle a groan. “Yeah, but you’re fun, Vee. It was different with Mako. He kind of got intimidated. By, um, me.”

“Ah.” Kuvira laughed, realizing what Korra was talking about. “Well, you are reasonably gifted in that area.”

Her remark made Korra huff indignantly. “Reasonably gifted?”

“Let’s not get hung up on semantics. I want to hear the rest of this little story.”

Korra rolled her eyes. “Fine. Mako didn’t really like bottoming with me. He’d complain about it, and even when I got him to agree, he wouldn’t do more than go down on me. And not very enthusiastically, either.”

This time, Kuvira’s laugh was longer and deeper. “He didn’t think he could handle it, huh? That makes sense, I suppose. I mean, how much room could there be with that stick already shoved so far up his ass?”

The tension broken, Korra joined in on her laughter. “You’re probably right,” she agreed before turning upward to brush a swift kiss across Kuvira’s lips. “And you’re a much better sport when it’s my turn. Although, it’s not _quite_ the same.”

Kuvira cocked her head suspiciously. “And what do you mean by that?”

She got a smug grin in response. “I mean, when you’re bottoming, it’s not what I was asking Mako to do.”

Something about the remark tweaked Kuvira’s pride. “Are you saying I couldn’t handle it?”

“Not necessarily.”

At almost the same time, the two of them burst out into a fresh round of laughter. There was something absurd talking about anal sex when they’d almost been crushed to death by a vicious warlord, and yet that was part of what she liked about Korra: her ability to throw herself fully into life, both its good parts and its bad.  “You know,” she said, “I’ll miss this when you’re back in Republic City and I’m busy not working for King Wu’s new regime.”

“I will too.” Korra gave her hand a squeeze. “But even afterward, I’ll see you again, Vee. I mean, just ‘cause we not mating for the rest of our lives doesn’t mean I ever want to lose touch with you. You know that, right?”

“I do,” she said, fighting back the emotion in her voice. Korra’s words had touched her more than she wanted to let on. It wasn’t easy for Kuvira to believe that she was wanted. Not so much sexually; she knew she was an attractive alpha. But as a person… _My own parents abandoned me, after all. And now I suspect my adoptive family has as well_ . _I’m glad to know that Korra won’t do the same. But that’s for the future. Right now, we have other business to settle._

She rolled Korra off of her body gently. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. I think it’s time to teach Wing Yang that lesson.”

Korra rolled up into a sitting position, stretching the fatigue out of her limbs. “Yeah, I think this time we do it your way.”


	5. Chapter 5

As the first rays of sunlight broke through the hole they’d bent, Korra cracked a smile. She and Kuvira had taken the long way out of what was supposed to be their tomb, creating a new tunnel in the hopes of avoiding any sentries Wing Yang might have left behind, and it seemed they’d succeeded. She stuck her head out of the opening, swivelling it around, and her initial impression was confirmed.

“Coast’s clear,” she said, vaulting up out of the passage and onto the side of the mountain.

Kuvira climbed out behind her, and for a moment the two alphas stood on the rock slope blinking, their eyes adjusting to the light. “I’m going to need to spend a week in the shower when this is over,” the metalbender finally commented, brushing off a little bit of the considerable rock dust off that covered her uniform.

“Sounds about right,” Korra laughed. “And hey, if you’re good, maybe I’ll join you in there.”

“Maybe I’ll let you.” Kuvira gave her a smirk as she straightened out her gauntlets and belt. “Now, let’s get a move on. I want to be back to the palace before Wing Yang has her flunkies dig up the mine to recover our bodies.”

“Yeah, the look on her stupid face when we stroll back into her dining room being not dead should be priceless.”

“It’ll be her last expression,” Kuvira said, and from the metal in her chi, Korra could tell she wasn’t joking this time around.

“Is that your plan?” she asked skeptically. “I mean, I know you killed Zaheer, but that was in the middle of a fight. This is different. Do you really want to be an executioner?”

“In this case? I’d be fine with it.”

Without further comment, Kuvira began to walk briskly down the mountain, leaving Korra scrambling to catch up. Once she was beside her friend again, she grabbed her by the shoulder. “Come on, Vee. We are _not_ ending this conversation that easily.”

Kuvira spun around, wrenching her arm free, and her green eyes were hard as iron. “What else is there to say, Korra? This woman betrayed her oaths to the Earth Kingdom. She reduced the people she ruled to abject poverty so she could feast. She buried some of those same people alive without a second thought. And that’s without getting into the part where she tried to kill us.”

“I know that was bad, but…”

Korra’s objections sounded feeble even to her, and Kuvira was no more convinced. “No buts. After all of that, she doesn’t get to end up in some makeshift jail where her followers can break her out the second our backs are turned. This problem needs a permanent solution.”

“I agree, but there has to be a better one than just killing her. _We’re_ better than that, aren’t we?”

Kuvira shook her head, and her face softened, giving Korra a rare glimpse of the fatigue beneath her determination. “Maybe you are, Korra, but I’m no Avatar, just someone trying to fix a bad situation. Sometimes, we do the best we can with what we have. Not everyone we fight can get a deluxe ice prison like P’Li.”

Korra sighed, sharing some of her friend’s weariness. She wasn’t comfortable with Kuvira’s proposed solution, but that didn’t mean she had a better alternative at the moment, so instead, she just said, “I know that. But that doesn’t mean we have to become killers.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Kuvira replied, seeming to have no more appetite than Korra for continuing their argument. Instead, she reached out, rubbing Korra’s arm. “Let’s just keep moving. Perhaps when we get there, something else will suggest itself.”

***

It was dark by the time they’d made their way back to Baodong, but that only made it easier to locate Wing Yang’s house. All the lights were on there, illuminating their path to the estate. _They’re probably celebrating our demise_ , Kuvira thought to herself, surprised at the surge of bitterness that accompanied the idea. Something about this particular woman, this particular mission, was bothering her more than most.

 _Perhaps because she was close to having it right._ The thugs they usually fought were just mindless thieves, grabbing what they could with no thought for what came next, but Wing Yang could’ve been more then that. She was smart, and well-organized. She knew how to build a following. But she had used those gifts for nothing but her own, selfish gratification, while those around her suffered and died. _It stops tonight._

This time, she and Korra didn’t enter via the front gate, instead slinking up a hill, and making their way to one of the stone walls along the side of the estate that wasn’t as likely to be guarded. _It’s a classic earthbender error_ , Kuvira reflected as she stood before the high rampart. _We can make these things so easily that we’re tempted to use them for defense, forgetting that it’s equally easily for someone else to pass through what we’ve constructed._

Kuvira raised her arms and then spread them, parting the wall in front of her as she did. “After you,” she said softly to Korra, giving her a teasing smile as she gestured at the hole.

Korra chuckled under her breath. “Why, thank you, Vee.”

The two of them crept quietly across the lawns of the estate. No sentries had noted their passage as of yet, allowing them to make their way toward the manor house unchallenged. Once they were outside its walls, Kuvira could see that her earlier grumbling had been justified. Through the windows of the the dining hall, she could see another feast in progress, this one even more debauched than the previous revels. Several of the guests were in a state of undress, and even from outside, Kuvira could feel the lustful frisson of heated auras rubbing against each other.

It was the final provocation. Without checking in with Korra first, Kuvira clenched her fists and raised her arms, tearing open the walls of the manor house. Chunks of stone were hurled across the dining room, smashing into the table and the guests seated around it. Amid the screaming and confusion, Kuvira strood into the room. Behind her, she could hear, Korra’s footsteps as the Avatar followed, but her own eyes were fixed on Wing Yang. The warlord—whom Kuvira noted still had her own clothes on—had been thrown to the ground, but she had managed to avoid being pinned by the wreckage and now she whirled around, her aura flaring in response to the attack.

“Surprised?” Kuvira growled. “I’m thinking you weren’t expecting two more for dinner.”

Wing Yang flipped up, landing on her feet and dusting herself off.  “You couldn’t just die, could you? Instead, you had to come back here, sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong. Again.”

Kuvira’s chi hardened, and she flexed her fingers, preparing to attack, but before she could, new arrivals caught her eye. Several guards rushed into the room, and a couple of the guests had pulled themselves up as well. “Korra,” she asked, “can you keep the rest of these idiots off of me? I want to deal with this one myself.”

“Sure thing, Vee,” Korra said, though Kuvira detected a note of annoyance, probably at her impatience in launching the attack without talking about it first.

“Thanks.” She could make that up to Korra later; right now, she didn’t want anything to distract her from Wing Yang.

It was a focus she soon needed. The warlord raised her arms, bending a massive chunk of table at her. Kuvira’s own hand snapped up and with a grunt, she turned it aside, sending the debris crashing harmless into a nearby wall. Before there could be a follow-up, Kuvira twisted her wrist, detaching several metal bands from her uniform and sending them flying at Wing Yang. It seemed her enemy was not a metalbender, because rather than try to turn them aside, she instead lifted up the stone floor, forming it into a shield against the attack.

The metal projectiles didn’t break through, but Kuvira took advantage of the distraction to close the distance between the two of them. By the time Wing Yang was dropping her barrier to go on the attack, Kuvira was almost on top of her. The warlord moved fast in response to her punch, but not fast enough. Kuvira’s fist caught her in the chin, sending her spinning backward across the room. While she was off-balance, Kuvira grabbed hold of the floor with her bending, yanking it up and knocking Wing Yang to the floor.

She didn’t stay there long. Wing Yang might have been a contemptible dictator, but she did know how to fight. Before Kuvira could bring her foot down on the other alpha, Wing Yang sprang up backwards, her own boot striking home. Kuvira staggered back at the impact to her torso, and she wasn’t able to avoid the next attack entirely, her arm only partially deflecting a hurled hunk of stone that left her with a bloody lip and a spinning head.

Scowling, she wiped the blood off of her face. “Not a bad move. But it’s not enough to save you either.”

“Big talk coming from a lapdog.” Wing Yang dropped back into a fighting stance, her aura flexing. “Tell me, did Suyin and the Avatar have to take turns fucking you, or did you do them both at once?”

Kuvira growled, her inner alpha raging at the comment, but she wouldn’t let herself be baited into a premature move. Instead, she only feigned a lunge forward, and when Wing Yang reacted by hurling another chunk of stone at her, she was ready to meet it. Opening her palm, her bending caught it well short of her head, wrestling with her enemy for control of the rock.

Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as the two of them tried to exert their will on the stone. All around her, Kuvira could see flashes of fire, water, and stone as Korra fought off the guards, but she tried not to let them distract her. Wing Yang was too strong for that, and Kuvira trusted that Korra could handle herself.

Under other circumstances, Kuvira was sure she could’ve won the test of power, but she could feel the effects of her grueling day in her burning muscles, and so she decided to try something else. Sacrificing a portion of her concentration, she let Wing Yang have control of the rock. It hurtled at Kuvira’s head, but she was ready for that, dodging to one side even as she flicked another blade at her enemy. Wing Yang tried to twist away from it, but she was too focused on their contest to succeed. The projectile sliced across her torso, cutting open her uniform and leaving a trail of red in its wake.

Her hand clutched at the wound, and Kuvira didn’t fail to take advantage. She raised her arms again, this time pulling the metal out of the nearby chairs and fixtures, shaping it into a single mass she could use. Wing Yang tried to avoid its approach, but Kuvira had spread the metal wide, and its tendrils caught her easily enough. Her wrist twisted, and the prison around Wing Yang squeezed tighter.

***

It was the scream that got Korra’s attention. She had just finished knocking a pair of guards away from her and into a fallen chandelier with a gust of wind when she heard it, and immediately, her attention—along with everyone else’s in the room—was yanked toward its source. Kuvira stood over the prone body of Wing Yang, the warlord now wrapped up in a cocoon of metal. Her head lay slack, and blood trickled out across the ruined floor.

“It’s over.” Kuvira’s voice echoed through the room, even as her aura surged forth, demanding everyone else’s attention. “Your leader is finished. You can either get out of here now, or stay and share her fate.”

Their remaining opponents didn’t have to be told twice. With an unseemly haste, the guards and courtiers turned and fled from the ruined room, and soon it was empty except for Korra, Kuvira, and the people they’d knocked unconscious. And, of course, Wing Yang.

“Is she dead?” Korra asked, not sure that she wanted to hear the answer.

“No.” Kuvira raised her hand and the metal flowed back off of Wing Yang, revealing that her chest was still rising and falling in spite of the mangled mess that had been made of her lower body.

“What did you do to her?”

Kuvira raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t want me to kill her. We couldn’t afford to leave her as threat. So I shattered her legs. If she can’t walk for a few months, that gives us time to dismantle whatever’s left of her regime without worrying that she’ll get loose and put us right back where we started.”

“I see.” Korra felt a hollow sucking sensation in her chest. She could see the logic behind Kuvira’s actions. And yet, the calculated, cold nature of the violence still left Korra queasy. There was a great deal she liked about Kuvira. The metalbender was brave, and loyal, and her intentions were good. She had risked her own neck to help a lot of people, not least Korra herself, more than once. But when it came to her means, she could be uncomfortably ruthless.

“What’s wrong, Korra?” Kuvira took a step closer, but it was hard to say if her presence was meant to be comforting or confrontational. “This is a reasonable compromise between our positions, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but…” Korra shook her head before returning her eyes to the unconscious, bloody form of Wing Yang, trying to figure out how to explain exactly what was bothering her so much. “Doesn’t it bother you, Vee, doing things like that to other people?”

Now Kuvira’s demeanor changed from cold to hot, her aura pushing hard against Korra’s. “What bothers me, _Korra_ , is scum like this—” She shot a contemptuous glare down at Wing Yang, “—running roughshod over the Earth Kingdom. I think that’s what we should focus on here.”

“You know that stuff bothers me too,” Korra protested indignantly, “but that doesn’t mean we should become like the villains we fight.”

“We’re not like them!” Kuvira snapped, defensive, and hurt, and angry all at once. “She murdered innocent people just to try and kill us. All I did was make sure she couldn’t do it again. Don’t hold that against me.”

“I’m not. Not exactly. But I worry about you. You have to be sure that you don’t go too far, even for the right reasons.”

All of a sudden, Kuvira’s aura softened, and when she spoke again, her words lacked their earlier, angry edge. “Then I suppose it’s a good thing that you’re here with me. After all, one of us has to be the nice one.”

Korra could feel her own frustration ebb as well, replaced with sympathy. She reached out, putting a hand on Kuvira’s shoulder. “I know you’re trying, Vee. This ‘repairing the Earth Kingdom’ stuff isn’t easy for either of us.”

“No, I suppose not,” Kuvira agreed, placing her own hand on Kuvira’s arm before glancing down at Wing Yang. “Come on. You’d better see if you can do a bit of your healing for this idiot before she takes a turn for the worst. I don’t want to fight about her with you any more than we already have.”

Korra gave her friend a smile as she knelt down in front of the fallen warlord. “I don’t either.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter involves the experimentation with anal sex that Kuvira mentioned to Opal back in Friendly Competition. I think it's pretty tasteful, but I just wanted to give you a head's up, as I know it's not everyone's thing. I'd like to thank Rae for her help with this scene, as well as for doing some edits on the whole thing; it's my story, but our shared universe. Anyway, I hope you like this last chapter, and that you enjoyed the story as a whole.

“The rest of those guys sure folded pretty quick, didn’t they?”

“They did,” Kuvira agreed, though her attention wasn’t entirely on her reply. Korra had just gotten out of the shower, and watching the other alpha dry herself off was definitely more appealing than discussing the swift surrender of the remainder of Wing Yang’s lackeys.

“I guess once you took out their leader, they didn’t have much fight left in them,” Korra continued, even as she ran the towel over her damp breasts, making it very difficult for Kuvira to concentrate. Sometimes, it was hard to tell when Korra was deliberately teasing, and when she was just heedless of the effect she could had. From everything she’d told Kuvira, it seemed that her training as the Avatar had kept her from having the same range of sexual experiences as many young alphas, at least before moving to Republic City.

Kuvira settled into one of the over-stuffed chairs in the living room, letting herself enjoy the feel of the soft cushions beneath her. Wing Yang’s living quarters were overly luxurious, but after the brutal few days they’d had, and the hard travel before that, Kuvira figured that she and Korra deserved to enjoy themselves. “Their loyalty to her was considerable.”

Korra slipped on a green plush robe that matched the one Kuvira was already wearing and flopped down on the couch opposite her chair. “Yeah, I guess so. Why do you think that was though? I mean, she was a pretty terrible person.”

Kuvira nodded slowly. She’d been mulling over just this problem for the last few days, and she’d finally come to a conclusion. “That’s true, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t also get a few things right.”

“Really? I mean, she did leave us some nice bathrobes, but what else did she figure out besides how to screw people over?”

The remark was enough to make Kuvira laugh before she answered. “The ordinary people, yes. But her little court certainly benefitted from her rule. Materially of course, but she also included them in her regime, making them seem like they were part of a team. The feasts, the debauchery... I’m not even sure if she truly enjoyed those things, or if they were just a means to an end.”

“Why do you think that she didn’t like it?”

Kuvira smirked. “Her pants were on when we burst in.”

Now it was Korra’s turn to laugh. “When you burst in, you mean.”

Kuvira shrugged. “Yes, yes. When I burst in. But my point is that while she was despicable, she also knew what she had to do in order to construct a power base. In that respect, I think she’s a bit like Suyin.”

“Suyin?” Korra’s eyebrows shot up incredulously. “Are you actually going to compare her to Wing Yang?”

“Not in all respects, no. But they do have certain things in common. Neither of them was born with power; they had to gain it for themselves. And both of them built regimes that benefitted at least some of the people.” _And ignored others._ Kuvira didn’t say that part aloud because she wasn’t in the mood for an argument about it, but even now, she couldn’t entirely suppress her anger with Suyin for abandoning the rest of the Earth Kingdom to chaos. _If I hadn’t been dumped in Zaofu when I was a child, I would’ve been one of those left to suffer and die._ “I doubt that Wu understands how to do that,” she added instead. “Someone like that, born royalty, thinks that they’re entitled to rule.”

“I used to act that way sometimes too,” Korra admitted. “Like I was better than other people just because I was the Avatar.”

Korra’s regret yanked Kuvira out of her own bitterness toward Suyin. “You don’t do that anymore,” she assured her friend. “Whatever you were given, you’ve earned respect, not just demanded it. You’ve earned mine, anyway.”

Korra sat up on the couch, that pretty, lopsided smile now on her face. “Thanks, Vee. You know you have mine too.”

“I do. And I am sorry about what I did the other day; charging in so impulsively was stupid.”

“Hey, I understand why you did it. I was pretty ticked off at Wing Yang too.”

“But you kept your cool. I didn’t and it could’ve gotten you hurt. Let me make it up to you.”

She could see Korra’s face light up with anticipation. “And what did you have in mind, Vee?”

Kuvira rose from her chair and undid the tie of her robe, letting it fall open to give Korra a good view of her naked body. “I was thinking that I can handle you better than that prude Mako.”

Korra swallowed hard, and Kuvira enjoyed the moment when the other alpha realized what she meant. Still, Korra hesitated. “You know, I didn’t mean that story to be a dare. I’d never want you to do anything you weren’t into just to make up for a mistake.”

“You’re sweet. But I do want to do this, for you. I trust you, Korra, and I know you’ll enjoy it.”

“I’ve gotta admit, I am curious…”

Before Korra could worry unnecessarily about her, Kuvira added, “Besides, you know that I enjoy a challenge.”

“I do,” Korra agreed.

“Then what are you waiting for?”

Nothing more, it seemed. Korra rolled up from the couch in a practiced motion, springing into a passionate embrace with Kuvira. Even though the other alpha’s robe was still closed, her rapidly forming cock was evident beneath it, accompanied by a surge in her chi. In response, Kuvira pulled back her own aura.

She was still a bit nervous; Korra was certainly well-endowed, and this wasn’t something Kuvira had ever done before, but her lover’s lips were warm and soft, and as the two of them enjoyed a lengthy kiss, she felt her anxiety recede a bit. As powerful as the Avatar was, she was could also be gentle, and she would certainly take care with such a delicate act. Kuvira undid the tie of Korra’s robe and dropped it to the floor, even while the other alpha was pushing her open one off of her shoulders, leaving the two of them equally naked. By this point, Korra’s erection was fully formed, and Kuvira took hold of it, feeling the warm flesh throb beneath her fingers.

“It seems at least part of you is pretty interested in trying this out.”

“What can I say, Vee? You’ve got a great ass.”

Korra’s callused hands slid around behind her, cupping her firm backside, and Kuvira couldn’t keep from letting out an undignified gasp. Still, she recovered quickly enough, giving Korra’s cock a playful squeeze, and catching her lips to drink in the moan that produced.

“You’re quite appealing yourself,” she whispered in Korra’s ear. Releasing her lover’s cock, her hands roamed across the muscled lines of her body. Korra was clean after her shower, the dirt and grime that so often covered her these days gone, leaving nothing but her natural scent. It was rich and complex, not like that of any other alpha Kuvira had met, and it was definitely having an effect. By the time one of Korra’s hands had circled around to cup her sex, she was already wet.

“So I see.” Nimble fingers slid through her folds and Kuvira groaned, the deftness of Korra’s touch and the power of her chi strong enough to turn her on in spite of her nervousness.

“Come on, let’s go to the bedroom. I want to make sure we’ve got enough space for this.”

“Sure.”

The two of them stumbled through the garishly decorated rooms together, their hands not leaving each other’s bodies as they went. By the time they reached their destination, Kuvira could feel Korra’s cock throbbing eagerly, its length pressing against her sex, while the head nudged her abs. Korra, though, didn’t seem to be in a rush to satisfy herself. With a warm smile, she guided Kuvira down onto the bed and began planting kisses across her body.

“What’re you…” she started to ask, but Korra cut her off with a nip to the base of her throat.

“Taking care of you first. Now lie back and enjoy it.”

Korra’s words were considerate, but at the same time, the alpha’s potent authority was behind them, and Kuvira shivered. Under other circumstances, her impulse would have been to push back against that power, but she had decided to accept Korra’s lead for now.

It was a decision that was well-rewarded. Korra kept kissing her way down Kuvira’s body, her tongue lavishing delightful attention everywhere she went. Kuvira’s hand toyed with her lover’s long braids, pleased murmurs escaping her throat. She never would’ve thought any other alpha could actually make her enjoy bottoming, but Korra wasn’t any other alpha. Her mouth reached the juncture of Kuvira’s legs and she spread them in eager anticipation.

“Come on, Korra,” she murmured. Right now, all she could think about was getting that tongue on her sex, about the pleasure it would bring. She would deal with the next part when they got to it.

“I’m getting there, Vee.” Korra’s teeth nibbled on her inner thigh, sucking on the sensitive skin with relish. Kuvira couldn’t keep her hips from trying to buck, but Korra’s strong hands held her in place while her tongue made its first pass through her folds. Even though Korra rarely did this for her when she was unshifted, she had a definite talent for it, and soon Kuvira was moaning, all the louder when the other alpha’s tongue began darting rapidly in and out of her.

As good as it felt, however, she needed more, and when she gave Korra’s braids a tug, her lover’s mouth moved upward, only stopping when it found her clit. Kuvira groaned as warm lips sealed around her bud, sucking gently on it while a pair of fingers took the tongue’s place. She shuddered as they slid into her, her body squeezing down in an effort to hold Korra inside.

Korra’s tongue lashed her clit while her fingers pumped in and out, picking up speed as she went. Kuvira could feel a pressure building in her lower belly, a need that had become almost all-consuming. “Yes, Korra,” she mumbled, her fingers digging deeper into the other alpha’s hair. She wanted to give Korra her pleasure, not caring how vulnerable she seemed as she unravelled.

Kuvira’s back arched and her hips pushed against Korra’s face, wordlessly pleading for even more contact. Her lover seemed happy to oblige, drawing her clit in deeper, and sucking on it with increased vigor. Her desire was already on the verge of breaking, and then Korra’s fingers hooked up, her next stroke dragging hard along Kuvira’s inner walls.

It was the last straw. With a sharp cry, the pressure inside her released in long, blissful pulses. Wetness spilled out onto Korra’s hand, but that didn’t slow the other alpha down, her harsh strokes and firm suckles continuing until Kuvira’s sex was left tingling, sensitized almost to the point of discomfort. Only then did Korra pull back, sliding up along Kuvira’s body and seizing her lips for a hard kiss that went on until they were both left gasping.

Only then did Korra pull back, her breath hot in Kuvira’s ear as she whispered, “Spirits, you look so hot when you’re coming, Vee.”

Her lover’s chi was an inferno now, and her erection pounded against Kuvira’s belly, clearly in need of a release that Kuvira was now ready to provide. Her climax had settled her nerves, and she replied, “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Now, go on. I can tell you want me.”

“I do. But I should probably get some lube or something first.”

Kuvira nodded in the direction of a nightstand at the head of the bed. “It’s in the top drawer. I checked.”

A bemused smile appeared on Korra’s face. “You were planning for this?”

“Like I said, I enjoy a challenge.” Korra reached into the drawer and drew out a small bottle filled with clear liquid. She popped it open, but before she could apply it to herself, Kuvira reached up and took it from her. “Let me.”

She squirted some of the liquid onto Korra’s cock before taking it in hand, rubbing it all over the soft skin. The other alpha gasped and the shaft throbbed even harder in Kuvira’s hand. _Spirits, it’s even bigger than usual. Or maybe it just seems that way because I know where it’s going._ At the tip, she could already see a bead of wetness forming, and she realized that Korra probably wouldn’t last very long once they got started. _Which probably isn’t a bad thing._

“Okay,” she said, “let’s do this.”

Kuvira rolled over onto her stomach, resting her head on one of the pillows. From this position, she couldn’t entirely see what Korra was doing, but she could still feel the power of her lover’s chi washing over her. It was comforting, steadying her nerves as a strong hand cupped her backside. As it slid up along her cheek, Kuvira tensed, but she pushed back her nervousness, giving a small nod so that Korra knew it was all right to proceed.

From behind her, Kuvira could make out the wet sound of the other alpha slowly stroking herself, but that didn’t have the bulk of her attention. A finger was pressing up against her rear entrance, and she tried her best to relax and allow it inside.

It was easier than she expected. There wasn’t any real discomfort as it slid inside, just a mild tingling sensation, and the tension coiled in Kuvira’s gut unwound a bit. Korra slid back and forth a few times, and once Kuvira was sure she was used to it, she said, “Go on. Use another.”

“If you say so,” Korra murmured. Kuvira could hear the desire in her lover’s voice, and in spite of the position she was in, she drew confidence from the knowledge that she was its cause.

A second finger soon joined the first, and this time the penetration was a bit more difficult. Kuvira felt a slight burning sensation as Korra worked her way into her, and she bit her lip, willing herself to relax. As she got used to it, though, she realized it wasn’t nearly as unpleasant as she’d worried. The feeling of being spread by Korra’s fingers was certainly intense, perhaps even a bit overwhelming, but there was also a warmth spreading through her lower body that was actually somewhat enjoyable. It wasn’t long before Korra was able to slide in and out of her relatively freely, and after a minute or two, Kuvira murmured, “All right. I think I’m ready.”

Korra bent down low, her lips latching onto a spot on Kuvira shoulder before she whispered, “Are you sure, Vee? We don’t have to keep going if you don’t want to.”

“No, I’m good. Just…” Kuvira’s voice trailed off. She wasn’t quite able to say the last part, but fortunately Korra got her message.

“I’ll go slow,” the Avatar promised, and she started with her fingers, only withdrawing the digits gradually. Once they were all the way out, there was a brief pause before Kuvira felt a new pressure against her rear passage. The head of Korra’s cock was thicker than even a pair of her fingers, and Kuvira swallowed as it began to push against her. She felt exposed, vulnerable in a way she never had been before, but she took a deep breath and let it pass. She could do this. She _would_ do this, and taking a deep breath, she summoned up her exquisite control over her own body, relaxing her muscles.

The tip nudged forward and as it began to open up her, she was encouraged by the low, hungry moan she heard come from Korra. Her body eased further, and she grunted, “More.” Korra’s hips jogged forward carefully, and though there was a moment of pain as the thick head pushed past her entrance, it eased once Korra was inside. There was still some discomfort at being stretched so thoroughly, but in other ways, the next few inches of the lubricated shaft actually felt pretty nice as they went further inside of her, lighting up nerve endings that Kuvira hadn’t been aware that she possessed.

Kuvira couldn’t keep from whimpering at the mixture of sensations but she was comforted by the firm feel of Korra’s fingers resting on her hips. The other alpha caressed her skin as she went, and her touch, along with the waves of gentle strength rolling off of her chi, reassured Kuvira that she was in good hands.

***

Korra bit her lip as a deep sigh fell out of her. She’d never felt anything quite like the gripping heat of Kuvira’s ass around her length, and it was a struggle not to immediately try and push in deeper. But it was an effort she made. Between the noises Kuvira was making and the muted quality of her aura, she seemed more vulnerable than Korra could remember seeing her. It showed a trust that, as much as the pleasure she was feeling, took Korra’s breath away.

Her hands ran over Kuvira’s taut hips, affectionately stroking the powerful muscles there. “You feel _so_ good, Vee,” she whispered as she pulled back slightly, before sliding in once more. She felt Kuvira’s body open up for her gradually, and she leaned down, placing kisses along her lover’s shoulder blade, trying to coax along the process.

Kuvira’s hands fisted in the sheets, and for a moment she went still. Korra was about to ask if everything was all right, but before she could, Kuvira pushed back against her, trying to take the rest of her cock. Her own hips moved forward once more, and then she was there, sheathed all the way to the hilt inside. A shiver ran through her body, and Korra swallowed hard. Her cock ached from the intense pressure, and she strongly doubted she would last very long.

Her hips began a slow rolling motion, only drawing back a couple of inches on each stroke. The pressure that accompanied them was incredible, and Korra let out a choked gasp as she tried to settle into a rhythm. One of her hands slid around, letting her play with Kuvira’s clit at the same time as she thrust. This was a gift her friend was giving her, but Korra wanted to be sure Kuvira got pleasure from it as well.

When her fingers closed around the bud, Kuvira let out a throaty murmur, and Korra was encouraged to continue, drawing lazy circles on its head as she kept up her gentle thrusts. “Ah, yes,” Kuvira murmured, and Korra felt her lover’s body relax further, letting her slightly pick up her pace. She still didn’t want to go too fast, both for Kuvira’s comfort, and because she doubted she could keep from coming if she did. And yet, it was a losing battle. The heat that surrounded her shaft, the way Kuvira looked laid out beneath her, the unusually soft sounds her lover made as she was pleasured: all of them were driving Korra over the edge.

As Kuvira squeezed down, Korra let out a needy groan, and her lover whispered, “Go on. I want you to come.”

A hand took hold of her wrist, guiding it off of Kuvira’s clit, urging an end to her resistance. Korra was more than ready to do that. Desperate aches were running through her cock, and she knew only had moments left to enjoy this. Her hands took hold of Kuvira’s hips once more and she pulled back before plunging in all the way, going as deep as she ever had before. The first of the strokes made her cry out Kuvira’s name, and by the fourth, she was finished. She froze in place as her body shook with the force of her climax, pulse after pulse pouring out of her throbbing cock, filling up Kuvira with everything she had.

Her whole body felt as if it had turned to rubber, shocks of pleasure running through her body as she gave Kuvira everything she had. Her lover collapsed into the mattress and Korra followed after her, careful not to push in too hard as she slumped against the other alpha’s back. Her arms wrapped around Kuvira’s body, Korra planting soft kisses on her shoulder blades as she panted, “Fuck, Vee, that was...”

“I know. Told you I could do it.”

Though Kuvira sounded tired, there was also a certain pride in her voice, and Korra smiled at it as she agreed, “You did. Are you okay?”

“Mm hmm.” Kuvira nuzzled back against her face, pausing for a moment before she added, “I mean, I wouldn’t expect a repeat anytime soon, but it had its points.”

“That’s fine. It was _really_ good.”

“I’m glad,” Kuvira said, and then something unexpected happened. Even while her own chi was receding, her inner alpha satisfied for the time being, she felt Kuvira’s surge. A powerful wave of desire washed over her, and Korra let it take hold. Her cock had already begun to soften, but now it rapidly shifted back until she wasn’t inside Kuvira anymore, just on top of her, and that not for long.

With a sudden burst of strength, Kuvira reversed their positions, landing on top of Korra and kissing her hard. Korra felt the renewed strength of her lover’s chi, and along with it, a swell against her thigh as Kuvira’s own shift began.

“Whoa,” she said, running her hands over Kuvira’s back, “That happened fast.”

Kuvira didn’t answer her question immediately, instead giving Korra’s breasts a firm squeeze and nipping at her collarbone. Only then did she say, “Well, it’s my turn now.” She tilted her head in the direction of the shower. “Come on. We need to clean up, and I need to fuck. Not the way we just did, but I want to be in you.”

Korra threaded her hand into Kuvira’s hair, tugging her hair back so that she could catch her lips for another kiss. “Seems fair.” Korra could hardly deny her now, especially since while Kuvira might have enjoyed what they did, she hadn’t come from it, and she deserved at least one more orgasm before they were done.

It was hard to tell which of them yanked the other out of bed so that they could stumble toward the bathroom together. Kuvira’s hands were roaming all over her, caressing her breasts and hips as they crashed into the shower stall. Her lover reached up to turn on the water and Korra took advantage of the distraction to give Kuvira’s cock a playful tug. Her action drew out a growl of desire, and Kuvira swiftly pounced, drawing them together even while her hand cupped Korra’s sex.

Strong fingers began caressing her clit, and as desire built between her legs, Korra moaned. Kuvira could be surprisingly sweet when she bottomed, but she was particularly skilled as a top, and Korra was looking forward to having her prove that again. The future might remain uncertain, both for the Earth Kingdom and the two of them, but the present looked pretty appealing, and she intended to enjoy every minute of it.


End file.
